Lisa Parham

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Lisa Parham

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Prior offices

Racine Unified School District Board of Education At-large

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Report an officeholder change

Personal

Profession

Publisher

Lisa Parham served as an at-large representative on the Racine Unified Board of Education in Wisconsin from April 27, 2015 to June 8, 2015. She won election to the board in the general election on April 7, 2015. She resigned two months later. It was alleged that Parham resigned due to actually being ineligible for office due to felony convictions. Though no official statements were made on the matter, it was reported by local media outlets that Paham, under the name Shelesia Mann, plead guilty to two counts of uttering a forgery, a class C felony, in 1994. Unless pardoned, those who have been convicted of a felony are not eligible for election to office in Wisconsin.

In a candidate questionnaire, Parham stated her position on the nonbinding referendum question on the ballot which sought to create a separate school district for Caledonia and Sturtevant. She said, "I think that impulse is a reaction to frustrations with the district, the prospect of shrinking state support, and the pressures brought by increasing mandates. ... Philosophically I believe that we are stronger as one district, that the issues of the city are shared by our outlying areas."

Biography

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Parham is the owner and publisher of The Racine Mirror, a monthly publication.

Elections

2015

See also: Racine Unified School District elections (2015)

Three at-large board incumbents, Wally Rendón, Don Nielsen and Kim Plache, sought re-election in the general election on April 7, 2015. They faced challengers Bryn Biemeck and Lisa Parham. While Nielsen and Plache retained their seats and Parham won her first term on the board, Rendón and Biemeck were defeated.

Results

Racine Unified School District, At-Large General Election, 3-year term, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Kim Plache Incumbent	25.3%	11,183
	Nonpartisan	Don Nielsen Incumbent	21.7%	9,571
	Nonpartisan	Lisa Parham	20.9%	9,248
	Nonpartisan	Wally Rendón Incumbent	17%	7,494
	Nonpartisan	Bryn Biemeck	15.1%	6,656
Total Votes				44,152
Source: Racine County, Wisconsin, "Final Official Election Results for 04-07-2015," accessed April 22, 2015

Funding

Parham reported no contributions or expenditures to the Racine Unified School District Clerk for School Board Elections as of March 30, 2015. She filed as exempt from filing campaign finance reports when he filed for his candidacy.

Endorsements

Parham was endorsed by The Journal Times, which stated, "The minority achievement gap is a serious issue that needs to be addressed and any help she can provide on this issue is much needed."

Campaign themes

2015

The Journal Times questionnaire

Parham participated in a questionnaire of all the school board candidates by The Journal Times. The questions and her responses are below.

“	JT: Why are you running for a seat on the Unified school board? What relevant experience would you bring? Parham: As a parent I am extremely concerned about the state of K-12 education in this community. I have supported my daughter through many years of post-high school education. As a successful entrepreneur, a highly involved community activist, and as an African-American woman, I believe I can bring a fresh perspective to the board. I believe I can offer insights that can be valuable in decisions affecting all students in the district with particular emphasis on the plight of our minority youth. As a businesswoman, I know how to start and operate an enterprise. I know what it takes to succeed in a multi-racial community.	”
—Lisa Parham (2015)

“	JT: What is the most pressing issue the board must address? Parham: I think everyone is aware of the proposed education budget cuts confronting Racine and other municipalities. We must address the difficult issue of closing the achievement gap among our students and attaining quality improvements in outcomes despite the realities of ever-shrinking resources to deal with these and other issues. Difficult choices must be made, but are there alternatives besides cutting programs and staff? I believe there can be. I hope to join with other members of the board and Unified administrators to look for options, for creative alternatives to simply cut, cut, cut. I also believe that we must have open and frank discussions about race in our community. Last September the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families found that our state ranks dead last in the well-being of minority students. Studies by the Wall Street Journal and the Anne E. Casey Foundation support those findings. Wisconsin can and must do better. I have a vision that Racine could become the model for attacking this blight. But before we can take the right steps to solve the problems, we must first talk about them, openly and frankly.	”
—Lisa Parham (2015)

“	JT: What is your position on the idea of municipalities like Caledonia or Sturtevant creating their own school districts? Parham: I think that impulse is a reaction to frustrations with the district, the prospect of shrinking state support, and the pressures brought by increasing mandates. I question if the municipalities could afford to separate themselves from the district. My impression is that it would create a crisis for all concerned. Philosophically I believe that we are stronger as one district, that the issues of the city are shared by our outlying areas.	”
—Lisa Parham (2015)

“	JT: How do you think Unified should adjust to the cuts in state funding expected in the proposed 2015-17 state budget? Parham: The final word on state allocations will not be determined until after April based on actual revenues and the legislative review of the proposed budget following public hearings. If cuts are imposed, this will be the central issue the school board must address. How much more belt-tightening can the district tolerate? Where will cuts occur? I believe our teachers are bearing the brunt of these cuts and I really question how much more can be asked of them. What can be done and what must be done will be addressed once a final budget is passed.	”
—Lisa Parham (2015)

“	JT: Did you support the referendum approved in November that will allow the district to collect about $128 million in taxes over the next 15 years? Why or why not? Parham: Yes, I supported the referendum. There is no doubt that many schools in the district need to be updated. Some were built in the 19th century. Ask those who know about the maintenance needs of many of these buildings and they will tell you that these structures are well past the point of renovation. We need facilities to train our students for the 21st century. The environments in which our students spend their days affect their very perception of school and learning. We must look at the cost of repair versus new construction. Just in heating costs and lighting alone there are substantial gains to be realized that will help offset building costs over the long term. Business would not accept such outdated and inefficient facilities. How can we ask that from our students and faculty?	”
—Lisa Parham (2015)

“	JT: How do you think the district should address discrepancies in achievement between whites and minorities? Parham: First, we must accept the fact that we are all one community, one with many faces. As a society we cannot afford to squander the talents shared by all students, no matter their color. A vast amount of research has been done on this critical issue. We know what must be done; it's a matter of implementation. Some of the answer has to do with parental involvement and sustaining their support for teachers and the mission of a school. Another is to keep the student in school. A study by UCLA found that minority high school students in Wisconsin are suspended at a higher rate than anywhere else in the country. When a student is out of school, they fall behind. That starts a downward spiral from which many students never recover. Another is to find ways to support the non-academic needs of students. Many minority students come from troubled homes. They have different needs than non-minorities. Yet another part of the answer is to encourage the involvement of local religious institutions. They can be a source of remedial help, support and encouragement. Mentorship is another valuable resource. Simply throwing dollars at the problem is not the answer.	”
—Lisa Parham (2015)

“	JT: Is the Racine Unified School District failing or succeeding in its charge to educate local students? Why? Parham: It is succeeding but we must do more and do better. We need to rally the support of the entire community, to get more parents involved so they know what is expected and the active role they must play to help foster greater achievement. We must continue to "sell" parents and students on the indispensable value of public education and how they can participate to improve the experience of all students.	”
—Lisa Parham (2015)

Recent news

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Lisa Parham - Google News

See also

• Racine Unified School District, Wisconsin
• Racine Unified School District elections (2015)
• Hot tub Gatorade, turnout in Peoria and the Wisconsin state...
• Wisconsin school districts 2014 review

External links

Suggest a link

• Racine Unified School District
• Office website
• The Rancine Mirror Facebook page